This invention concerns a dispensing closure such as a container; especially containers that have at least two chambers that may be used to keep at least two components, such as a liquid and a powder or tablets, separated until time for use.
Many different styles of caps, lids and closures have been well documented and described in the prior art. They include tamper proof closures, caps that seal the container using a check valve taking advantage of the squeeze action of a flexible bottle to create the pressure differential to activate the valve, and other devices. Also prior art concerning containers with two compartments, separating two ingredients to be mixed before consumption, exist; but few if any of these containers are commercially available mostly because of complicated parts, difficulty of filling and high manufacturing cost.
Many of these devices consist of a piercing tip or cutter that perforates or cuts a foil seal, blister pack or membrane releasing one component into a supplemental component, usually tablets, granules or powders into a liquid. Minor differences, consisting mostly of how the piercing tip is activated, differentiate these devices. Whether piercing tips or cutters are used to remove the seal between compartments, there is always the danger of having fragments of foil or other residue fall into the mixed components.
This invention provides a container and cap that overcome many of the disadvantages of the prior art while providing a container that is easy to use and uses a minimum number of parts and that is simple to manufacture and assemble.